


Strangers In A Strange Land

by orphan_account



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: A little bit of angst, Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dan is so beautiful, Fluff, Intimacy, M/M, Magical Creatures, Phil is smitten, Spirits, Strangers to Lovers, idk how to use tags tehe, pretty surroundings, youtubers are mentioned but its mostly dan and phil
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-07-15 06:11:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7211081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil needs to freshen his dull life away from his work at the Library, and what is better for that than a hike? With a mysterious news breaking discovery at the back of his mind, he ventures onto the unknown. And it all starts with a pair of chocolaty brown eyes. Perhaps, this could prove to be more adventurous than he wished for.</p>
<p>(Sorry if this doesn't tell you anything, I literally cannot stand spoilers. It should suffice!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fireflies

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think down in the comments!

The beeping of the alarm clock was more infuriating today than it did the last few weeks. That was Phil's first thought as he lazily reached out from under the covers to silence the noise hammering his head. The sky was far from sunny, weeping a waterfall out of the glooming clouds. It didn't look like 7AM at all. Honestly, the last thing he needed was to wake up so early on a day off.

His days were very grey as of late, and it was all his fault.

He regretted his career choices. He knew he liked video editing and technology, and knew he should have done that instead of English. But _no!_ He had to listen to his friend's and family's ignorant appeals on what might get him money when he grows up. His idiotic younger self thought he didn't stand a chance to be anything worthwhile in the world of television, there was no need to embarrass himself. Oh how much would he pay for the risk now. 

Not that he didn't like English or working at the Library. It was just as dull as any job can get. He gets to read all the time, which is fine, but that isn't enough. He wants an adventure, he wants a little spice in his life. He doesn't have a lover. He has a lousy small apartment and his friends didn't like half the nerdy hobbies he was interested in. He didn't even have a proper best friend, and what would he give to have one? Probably the world.

'Stop mulling over your life first thing in the morning.' He said in his head. And when he realised he was completely awake, he reluctantly dragged himself out of bed.

He winced as he put his feet over the flesh-numbing wooden floor. The whole flat was cold as well, probably from the rain outside. 'It isn't even winter!' He complained. How are they going to hike in this weather? He wondered, and collected a fresh set of clothes to wear before he started packing.

His friend PJ had this wonderful idea the other day, which wasn't very wonderful by Phil-standards. He saw how completely monotone his friend was and (without Phil's consent) organised a hike through the famous West Highland Way, which goes into Scotland. Phil googled it and knew it was beyond his own physical abilities, and PJ tried to sooth him by saying its a multiple-day kind of hike and not one long walk, it didn't work.

Phil was already behind on his preparation so after his shower he decided to make a quick cereal while watching the news and the weather forecast. He treaded through the kitchen and turned the Television on. The weather near the West Highland Way was surprisingly clear, and it seems like this rain wouldn't last till the afternoon. He usually doesn't take the weather forecast to heart, the weather here in England was a consistent as the lottery. They say one thing on the forecast and before you know it, you need an umbrella. He noted he should pack one anyway.

Then the news came on, and apparently there was breaking news. The woman on screen was wearing a beautiful red cardigan and a smile that screamed 'COFFEE' just by the look of it. He felt bad for her, even if his paycheque wasn't nearly as delicious as hers.

"We interrupt the breakfast show to announce that archeologist James Howell on his exhibition..." A fly passed in front of Phil's face and he slapped it away. Not even in the mood to feel sad about it, even though he usually is. He kept on listening. "...And him and his team had found an occupied tomb for an unknown nameless corpse. Tests on the scene suggest the tomb was closed for nearly a thousand years." 'A new mummy, wonderful,' Phil thought. "Except, shockingly, the body is neither mummified nor is it rotten. The body was inspected and found fresh save for dust and general earthy insects in. The body was found 'almost alive' even though no ventilation initially occurred. According to the University College London Hospital, after fourteen hours of exposure the body started to come to life and is now acting as a form of coma patient. As this is nothing short of a miracle, James Howell was given the honour to name the mysterious ancient male. He called him, Daniel Howell. What do you think Steve about this..." And she blabbered on as they showed a picture of the not-so-dead buried person.

Phil stared at the screen in shock as he tried to understand what was just dumped on him only 8 o'clock in the morning. The Daniel guy seemed as old as him, with his hair barely cut into a fringe that was disturbingly similar to his. He actually looked pretty handsome... for a buried corpse. Does that mean he might wake up one day? How will he take in this new technological world? Does he speak the same language in the first place? This was beginning to feel like the sort of thing you see in fantasy films, and he was oddly excited for once. He wished he could meet this Dan, see into the mind of someone so far down the line of history. Who knows how old was he when he died? What if-

His musing was interrupted by a loud bang on the door, 'right.' "PHIL!" Called PJ, "open up, we'll be late! Its best we start off early aye?" 'No it isn't,' Phil thought. But he got up and opened the door anyway.

PJ helped Phil through the packing process, which included stripping him from all sorts of portable gaming devices save for his phone. Apparently, he needs to be 'spiritual' and enjoy the road. He really didn't think he'd last that long, but he would be lying if he said he didn't like the idea of open space and nice breeze away from the now suffocating cramped space of the Library.

He went to the wardrobe and put on the clothes he especially bought for his hike. According to a website, he had to wear base layer clothes. Namely, a leggings and a long sleeved based shirt. He felt a little too exposed so he quickly put on the rest. Over it he wore a long sleeved blue shirt and black Adidas pants. Some sunglasses, blue and grey raincoat, socks, trainers and low gaiters later, he was ready to go.

They both went straight for the car then, on their way to pick up Chris and Adam on their manly quest. Three chatted cheerily as they made their way through the wild to where the program centre was, but Phil remained blissfully ignorant of their enthusiasm. Sooner than later, green engulfed them completely. They escaped the gloom of London, and were all relieved to have found the forecast quite accurate this time. Once they were on their feet through the paved road, Phil took a deep breath in.

The air was incredibly refreshing. The sun was now towering above their heads, and each carried their trusty backpacks and looked ahead.

"Let us move, men. We need to get to the pub before the wind passes us!" Chris declared, pointing his finger before him in a dramatic gesture. The plan was for them to travel on foot until they reached the first Inn and a pub, and so on during the rest of their (hopefully peaceful) journey.

"Shut up, Chris." Said PJ, and Phil had to agree.

They hurried along, and Phil’s thoughts trotted back towards a certain handsome person in a faraway bed in London. And if the universe brought him out just when Phil started to feel a little lonely, it couldn’t blame him for wondering what kind of colour hid behind his closed eyelids.

 

* * *

 

Much to their surprise (not) turns out they weren't athletic enough to make it to the pub without breathing their lungs out of their mouthes.

They sat down a short cliff of the woodland near the road and camped, nobody wanted to move anywhere even if it meant a comfy bed. Phil didn't feel like arguing at all. They gathered around a fire (thanks to manly man Adam) and started to barbecue some of the meat PJ brought with him. It wasn't that bad, they were all good friends and he was enjoying the food. Even if the flies were a bit unnerving.

Ten minutes, he promised. He would just go for a brief walk along the trees and the tiny stream, hopefully clear his head a bit of the sinking feeling he gets whenever he tries to think. The moonlight and stars are shining brightly above his head, and he stared at them. Mesmerised, he doesn't notice how he'd lost his way. Phil stumbled upon the uneven floor, listening to the rushing of water up ahead, stronger than the stream right next to his feet. The water and the distant noise was running seemingly past a wide dark cave. 'Was there a cave in the map?' He couldn't see past the huge rock, and figured if he weren't yet eaten by a bear, he might as well move on.

The cave was pitch black, save for the light coming at the end of what seemed like a tunnel through it. The rocky floor was damp and slippery, perhaps at times the stream is stronger than it was right now. He decided to take off his footwear, feeling an urge to submerge his feet into the chilly water. He held his boots in one hand, and strolled blissfully towards the end through the little stream. He could feel tiny fish and plant brushing the soles of his feet, "ticklish" he mumbled and beamed a smile. He loved animals, big time. "Hello fishy! Move, I don't want to step on you." His voice was tender, as if he was talking to a toddler. People think his love for animals is a little bizarre, but he could never help himself.

At the mouth of the end of the tunnel, Phil could see a wide lake in the middle of an area closed off by a surrounding giant rocky wall. At the end of the stony hall was a small waterfall, the source of the steam traveling past his form. On his right were various strings of green plant and yellow flowers draped over the wall, it hung so beautifully over it that it almost seemed decorated rather than natural. Over the lake hung the moon and the stars illuminating the place, giving it a sort of fairy tale feel and extracting him from his thoughts completely. Even as the lake shone in the moonlight, and he walked around in wonderment, he could see tiny fireflies over the body of water, adding to the surreal aesthetic of the place.

Though all beauty has a fault, or at least that was Phil's opinion when he put a foot on the edge of the lake. As if a force was frowning upon his intrusion, a pinch of long grass that he didn't know was there wrapped around his offending foot and roughly pulled him into the water. He fell back in shock, scraping at his ankles to escape the grass. He flayed in panic as it practically drowned him into the lake, giving him almost no time to even catch a breath. Almost. But he did, and he saw down in horror many skeletons on the ground with an frighteningly similar patch of green around their very ankles. He looked about and scraped at his legs, looking for a way out. 'Think Phillip, think! You can't die here! And by a bloody plant!' His mind screamed while his mouth couldn't, and felt his life slip away from his very fingertips and out of his nose. Phil had given up, at least he'd die somewhere pretty and no one will find his body. He'll be in peace, right? He screwed his eyes and just counted the seconds before he completely lets his breath go.

Little did he know, he wasn't the only one in that lake.

He finally breathed out, and it took him a couple of seconds (and some coughing) to realise he can actually breath. He wasn't out of the water, he could feel the liquid around him and the strap of grass engulfing his leg. Slowly, he opened his eyes and confirmed his suspicions. He was breathing underwater. But how? And why? He snapped his head in all directions, all except right in front of him. Was he dreaming? Is this a heavenly joke? Two palms on his cheeks were all it took to settle him down. He glanced ahead, and saw before him a pair of bright chocolaty brown eyes. It didn't take long for his memory to kick in.

'Daniel Howell..?'

'What's that?' A voice resounded in his thoughts.

'What?' his own head shot back.

'You said Daniel Howell, what is that?' The boy before him tilted his head, as if he was speaking through his mind. Was he?

'How’re you doing that?' He sent back, hopefully. He didn't know how these things worked.

'I'll tell you if we have the time, now you have two minutes to decide before you drown. I cannot help you then.' The other boy said.

'WHAT?' His mind repeated.

‘Listen to me, and calm down. This is important. Are you listening?' The brunette said, and Phil slowly nodded as he stopped panicking. 'Good. I need help, and only a human could aid me. Here are your options: Either agree to help me then return to this world safe, or deny and stay here with the rest of the corpses who decided to stay. Choose your pick.'

He thought for a few seconds, rationally. Or at least, as rationally as the situation allowed. 'Why didn't they choose to help you?' He shot back.

'I never got the hang of wording it out so graciously, and that was a long time ago. I practiced.' He looked at him apologetically, not that he was to blame for their stepping in. Was it?

'Fair enough.' He said, and thought a little deeper into it. He had the time. On the one hand, this person is not supposed to be here. This entire day could be a dream. He can't breath under water or have psychic connections with a mummy half across the country! But on the other hand, it felt real. Should he really risk it? Did they die because they risked it?

'I'm in.' He said simply.

'Well then,' the brunette said as he (somehow) cut the grass and pulled Phil away. 'This will turn to be quite the adventure!' They swam too fast for Phil's comfort, but he was only half focused on the trip as this strange person travelled to a narrow tunnel under the waterfall. His hands gripped on Phil's like iron claws but it didn't hurt. The guy was faintly glowing, non-metaphorically. They were faced with a sparkling sphere of light, going at it with an alarming speed. Daniel showed no sign of going slower, and after all that happened, Phil didn't question it, and a thought bubbled in his mind again in the voice of his foreign companion.

'Help me become human once again.'


	2. Crystals And Fairies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, how I love background checks. This should clear SOME of the things up! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well :D

_He laid in bed. The sheets allowed a gust of wind to pass through his bones and the mattress was as uncomfortable as a surface of rock. He opened his eyes and saw in horror that he was at the bottom of the lake, dead and unaccounted for—_

“Hey, boy! Wake up—“

_—A fish was passing by swimmingly, wearing an apron that says ‘RELEASE.’ He found that oddly charming for some reason. A bear seemed to catch him staring and he leaped up towards it and gave it a hug—_

“—I don’t have time for your—“

_He pulled him by his soft hands and they wondered around swimmingly, smiling at each other. Is that a dimple—?_

“WAKE UP!”

He was awake.

“Ahh—What’s wrong with you?” He said, angrily. Well, not after he saw who he was talking to.

Right, not dream.

The strange man raised his eyebrows and shook his head smiling. ‘He does have dimples…’ his mind supplied. “Well, it is not my fault you slumber like hippo!”

“Excuse you, Mr. Zombie! I like to think that I’m more graceful than a hippo.” He smiled, and the guy slightly blushed. It didn’t last long before a shadow of confusion resided on his features.

“Zombie? You say the strangest things.”

“Oh, right. You don’t know what a Zombie is, do you…” Of course he didn’t, the guy was dead for a thousand years! Which brings up the question: “Wait, how and why exactly are you here?”

“Should I be anywhere else?”

“I don’t know, like, dead maybe?” He said, was that offensive? “Sorry,” he frowned slightly.

“It’s okay, I know what you mean… and it’s a long story.”

“I have all day, I need to know the deal to help you, yeah?”

The man hesitated, that much was obvious. Maybe it had been a long time since he last told someone about it. Little wonder he was so desperate down there.

“I was born cursed.” He said simply.

“ _Excuse_ me?”

“You seem to be in need of many excuses!” He shook his head again, and furrowed his brows. “Yes, you heard correctly. My mother was a very beautiful woman, and my father married two. Apparently the other wasn’t as aesthetically pleasing.” He said, looking sad, and he schooled his face back into the nonchalant one he had moments before. Phil was unsure if he saw it at all.

“Yeah, go on.” He encouraged, handing him a smile.

“She had a witch bewitch me into death in my mother’s womb, but it backfired into her and some of the force affected my attachment to this world. When I was born, I was told I could neither breath nor move for two years, but I never died. And when I turned twenty-four of age, I fell down a cliff and should have died. Because of the spell I remain in-between the spiritual world and the real world, and this is where you come in.”

“Alright,” Phil exhaled, refusing to freak out over the notion of witches and spiritual worlds. “Assuming all this is true, what do you need me for?”

“Well, I’m not sure if this is a myth or not, but its worth a try. I had been going back and forth in both worlds, and heard there is a way to return to my body if it was undamaged. That is, by going to a mighty spirit that will return me if she deems me worthy of a second chance. I don’t know why I need a human, but apparently you only know when you reach the end.”

“Right, right…” Phil said. “Wait, are you telling me we’re in the spiritual world?!” He said fidget-idly while he jerked his head around the place.

They were in another cave, slightly damp as well. Tiffany coloured crystals filled the walls and gave off a faded hue that made the place look sparkly and incredible. There was no source of light besides those weird shiny crystals, how is that even possible? He properly scanned the boy in front of him, who somehow had the new haircut and white hospital shirt and shorts on his slender body. Even with such simple article of clothing, he looked like a model. Phil would be jealous if he didn’t feel the heat rise in his cheeks after he was caught staring. The other boy smiled, a more radiant smile than the crystals hung around them.

Now a million questions flooded his mind, and the boy answered him, pulling him out of his trance.

“Yes of course, you were with me when we came weren’t you?”

“Oh my God—Does that mean I’m _dead?_ ”

“No silly! The spiritual world is called that because it contains spirits, but it isn’t off limits to the living if you know the way. Plenty of breathing and heart-pumping folk ‘round here.” He cheered him up and smiled again, brushing his fingertips against Phil’s cheeks. His companion’s eyes burned something in him, he didn’t know what. The glow of crystal on his form was absolutely breathtaking, how did he not notice that before? Was he blind? He had his glasses, somehow.

He coughed. “Wait, what’s your name? I’m Phil Lester, nice to meet you?” He didn’t mean to say it as a question, he frowned.

“Oh, Pleasure, Phil. You have a strange name!” He let out a breathy laugh. “I am—Oh dear.”

“Oh dear?”

“I—I think I forgot.” He bit his lips, a smile tugging on the corner of his mouth.

“You _forgot_ your own name?”

“It’s not like I use it!” He defended. The Dan guy seemed to be a very emotive person by nature, even with an unpleasant past as this. “Well then boy, why don’t you name me?” And oh, did he not have the perfect name yet?

“How about Daniel Howell?”

“You said that before. Do I look like a ‘Daniel Howell’ or something?”

“It was the name they chose for you when they found your body yesterday!”

“ _What?_ ” He stepped back, looking horrified out of his skin. “Sweet Jesus on a… B—Basket!”

Phil shot up from his place, placing his arms on Daniel to calm him down. He was surprised by how chilly his skin was. “What? What’s wrong?”

Daniel shook his head and pulled his hands over his face. He heavily sighed into his palms. “If my body is not buried, then I only have a month, else I stay like this forever!” He shot his arms up in disbelief.

Shit.

“Well don’t worry! I’m sure we’ll do this!”

“Yeah of course we will!” He said sarcastically, Phil could feel it. “I’m sure we’ll also have the time to tame a dragon pet and write another bible!” His voice rose a bit at the end, making him sound like he was about to cry.

Well, someone is a pessimist.

“Okay, lets just calm down, yeah Dan?”

“I thought my name was Daniel?”

“Dan is short for Daniel.” He reassured, and gave him the biggest smile he could make. It apparently worked, as Daniel looked down and smiled. Was he blushing? ‘Nope, no way. Must be my trippy imagination.’

“Right,” the brunette said. He pulled on Phil’s hands and they ventured into the cave. Phil realised, much to his dismay, that he was barefoot.

_Great_. Well, Dan was barefoot too, so he shouldn’t complain.

That cave was the entrance to the spiritual world, but they were taking another route. Coming towards a crossroad, apparently they wouldn’t go right into the world itself. Instead, they were to pass through a Fairy village—Really? Fairies?—for some guidance. Phil just accepted anything at this point. They were though apparently very stingy creatures who only did things with proper payment. They obviously didn’t have anything of value to trade with.

“But why would they help us?”

“If you know your price, they can be persuaded.” Dan gave him a suggestive smile and a cheeky wink. He decided it was best not to ask. They walked side by side, Dan had let go of Phil’s hand (unfortunately) and settled his arms by his side. Their sides occasionally brushed, and they fell in companionable silence. Phil wanted to ask more, to know more, to tell more; but Dan was stressed still. He would leave it for another time. He simply focused on their hight difference, Dan was slightly taller than Phil and he just wanted to grab the back of his head and—

Whoa there Phil, hold your horses. Should he be concerned he’s thinking about Dan way too much? He literally delved into another universe leaving his friends to think he was dead. He wasn’t even concerned about that, why was Dan a priority in his thoughts? He decided that no, after all, it was just scientific curiosity. Plus, the guy seemed to have great sense of humour, that’s all. Period.

He repeated that to himself way more than he’d like to admit.

 

* * *

 

“Help!” They heard a squeal, which they ignored.

“Please don’t go! Help me!” Said the voice again, and they both glanced at each other, puzzled. It sounded like it was coming from behind a small rock on the side of the wall.

“I’ll go check,” Dan volunteered, Phil didn’t mind.

Dan, in one swift leap, reached the rock at the other side of he wide sparkling cave. He crouched down, obscuring Phil’s vision from what’s under the rock. He held something glowing in his hand. ‘Does everything glow in the spiritual world?’ Though to be fair, Dan wasn’t glowing anymore, thankfully.

There was a tiny person with wings in his hands.

“Few! I though I’d die there alone!” The little fairy said, causing Phil’s eyes to widen in wonder.

‘We live in a bigger world that we think.’

“What were you doing down there?” Dan asked, since Phil couldn’t articulate any word out of his mouth.

“I was just taking a break from work…” She smirked. “And a rock fell on me! Can you believe it? A _rock!_ How rude is that!” She shook her head and glared at the rock, as if the rock did it on purpose.

“You don’t say,” replied Dan distractedly. “Well, good thing we were here then! Am I right, Phil?”

“O-O-Oh yes!” He cringed at how stupid his voice sounded.

“Yes, good thing…” The fairy arched an eyebrow at Dan, seeming to catch his drift. Not that Phil did.

“Very good… We saved your life! Didn’t we?”

“Cut to the chase, dearie.” She said bluntly, causing Dan’s face to break into a sly smirk.

“You owe us your life, no?” When she reluctantly nodded, he continued. “We need your guidance, there is somewhere we’d like to get to as soon as possible.”

“Lemme guess, you wanna meet Dina?”

“Who’s Dina?” Phil was ignored.

“Yes, Dina. I assume you know why?”

“Please,” She crossed her legs on the edge of Dan’s palms, and faced him with a smug expression. “As if don’t know the difference between a Human, a Spirit and an in-between-er. Especially if they’re handsome folk like you two.” And she gave them a wink.

That apparently made Dan smile a bit more wickedly, if possible.

“I like you.”

“Hey, I like you too!” She wiggled her eyebrows.

Phil stared at the pair of them in disbelief. “Uhh?” He was utterly lost, were they flirting?

“Right, don’t worry sweetie,” she turned to face Phil this time. “I won’t steal your boyfriend. I’ll gladly show you the way!” She bounced off and flew quickly through the tunnel. Dan immediatly ran after her, and it took Phil a couple of seconds to follow. He didn’t appreciate how fast everything was happening.

“Dan, what just happened?” He asked as they huffed forward.

“Told you they could be persuaded.” He whispered, giving Phil a knowing look.

Phil only then realised that she assumed Dan was his boyfriend by the sight of them, and it _totally_ didn’t make his heart flutter or anything. Nor did he smile at the notion of Dan not minding to be mistaken as his lover.

Phil excelled at lying to himself.


	3. Feiar

"Alright, listen up boys."

Dan and Phil had been waiting for the fairy for almost half an hour, completely impatient even if each have their own reasons. Phil could guess Dan just wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. After all, who knew how long their journey was going take? They weren't going to take any chances. Phil, on the other hand, had his own concerns. It downed on him how screwed he would be if he were to go back to his bitter reality. He'd definitely lost his job, his mom will kill him, and nobody'll believe what he was up to! Plus, what if they fail? How will he return? And why is Dan so insistent on becoming human? He doesn't need to worry about death and disease, he doesn't need a job, he lives in this wonderful world with these creatures! He's only near the entrance and he's already reluctant at the idea of going back home.

Why did he want to return? Its not like anybody he knew was still alive.

_Oh._

"About time!" Dan exclaimed. "Where are we supposed to go? Just say it, I know most of Feiar."

"Alright calm down!" She giggled. "Here, I've drawn a map for you. Even if you know the land, you still need to know where to go in detail. Many turns could take you the wrong way."

The Fairy was balancing the parchment onto her head, clearly struggling to keep balance even though it was paper. Phil gently took it from her, and offered his other hand for her to rest upon. She leaped up and settled on his shoulders, holding onto his ears and allowing him to spread the map out. He wasn't phased by the proximity of the fairy to his face, even if by personal space standards it was a bit too weird. When Dan leant as well and almost had his cheeks against Phil's, his libido had completely different ideas.

He coughed.

"Are you coming down with something? You cough a lot."

He coughed again. "No, not at all." He said.

Focusing on the map at hand, it was definitely not to scale. The childish doodling (probably the Fairy's) and the vague descriptions were too weird to be considered anything more than a pirate treasure map. He didn't see how this'll help them navigate through an entire magical land filled with who knows what! Dan seemed mildly satisfied, maybe the spiritual world was as small and squishy as she drew it to be?

Oh, how wrong can one person be.

They both took the map and thanked the Fairy, promising to drop by if they ever have the time. Two of them knew it was not going to happen, so they all bid farewells and moved on.

Because life goes on.

They traced back through the crystalline cave back to where the crossroad was, and soon enough, they saw light beyond the artificial beams of the crystals. Phil didn't know what to expect. Was it going to be pretty like middle earth, or trippy like the Cat In The Hat box? There was no way to know beyond stepping in. He felt Dan take their hands together again, and squeezed as if he was comforting him.

"It will be fine." He said.

Phil's immediate trust in Dan frightened him to no end.

 

* * *

 

 

The first thing he noticed was night.

It wasn't a dark night, mind you. The starry sky was not numbed by countless street lights and windows that don't know when to stop partying. Before them displayed what no artist could draw and no mind could ever conceive. It was hard to do the sky justice in description, but Phil's human mind still tried to make sense out of the wonder right before his eyes. Better than any NASA picture of the galaxies beyond earth, the dark canvas was painted with all sort of lights and colours about as if it was on purpose. The stars swam in harmony next to each other, there needn't any moon to make it more enchanting. Yellow, light Blue, Pink, Red, Purple and many in between were brushed in a fashion Phil had neither read in a book or a painting. His mouth went agape, and he hadn't even so much as glanced to see the ground right in front of him. Like an absolute contrast to the wonderment of the heavens, fields of long grass stretched as far as they saw in the dimness of the night. There where Dandelions here and there, blowing wishes against the bless of the chilly breeze. And like a shadow, two mountains stood tall next to each other, poking like spears that break into the light of the heavenly bodies above.

"This is Feiar, it looks better in the morning I swear."

Phil didn't think that was possible.

"See these mountains?" He gestured with his fingers towards them. "We need to pass through the valley between them. Beyond is a witch that apparently can help us with supplies for when we move to the forest. Its not as far as it looks, in Feiar distances can be deceiving. Sometime the near looks far and the far looks near. I don't understand the logic, and I've given up a long time ago." He sighed. "I know exactly how long everything will take, beyond the whole Dina business. Hopefully she won't take long to decide."

"Wait, who is this D—" He gasped.

"What? Is something in my hair?"

"N-no! Nothing, you're just..." Holy crap. Dan and nighttime are just unfair. When did the breeze stop being chilly?

"I'm just...?"

"Beautiful." He blurt out, and he regretted it immediatly.

Whatever Dan was expecting to come out of his mouth, it certainly wasn't this. He froze, not knowing what to do. Phil didn't mean to put him on the spot like that! What was so shocking about Phil telling him he's beautiful? It's fact. He must be used to hearing it. That wasn't the case apparently.

"I'm not—I'm not beautiful..." The last word only came out as a whisper, but Phil heard it loud and clear. And he thought  _he_ was the blind one! Was he serious? It seems so, Dan had turned his head and stumbled forward, not meeting Phil's eyes. Phil followed, he had to say something.

"You are, Dan! How can you say you're not?"

"Because I'm not!" He snapped. Why was he being hostile?

Phil snorted. "You can't honestly believe that." He waved his hand next to his ears, dismissing Dan like he was being ridiculous. And he was.

"Well, its not my fault its true."

"And it's  _my_ fault you have low self-esteem?! Even the Fairy said you were handsome."

"I do not! Fairies will snog with a leech if it meant they escape their line of work!"

"That's beyond the point. I still stand by—What do Fairies do anyway?"

"Oh, they light up the crystals and... That's not the point! Lets agree to disagree, okay?"

"Okay," Phil nodded. "But if I say you're beautiful, you don't get to say I'm wrong."

"Fine. I say your blindness will be your downfall." He shook his head, still facing away from Phil, but happiness radiated from him in the form of light beams, Phil could tell, somehow. How is that even possible?

"Hey! I can see just fine, I got my snazzy glasses right on here." He said, shaking his head and flipping his hair from side to side.

"Hah, 'cuze you're worth it." He laughed at his own joke—which was kinda lame—and started to make wheezing sounds. Phil laughed so hard he couldn't breath or stop his hands from covering his mouth and stomach.

...

Huh?

Wait, pause on that.

"Why do you know the L'Oréal advert?"

"The what?"

"That! That was something from my world."

"Oh."

Silence.

"Well," Dan started. "I did say I was stuck between those two worlds. If my body changes, my spirit changes as well. Maybe I heard it, or forced to see it somehow? I mean, I'm wearing these weird clothes aren't I. The same happens with my other senses. And if my body is damaged..." He went quiet. Phil gulped.

He then bumped into Dan from the side and smiled. "Hey, I saw who took you in. They treat you like an artefact! They won't let anything harm you. No way." He stalked his palms up Dans forearms and shook his shoulders to comfort him. "And if you  _charm_ your way through things like you did today, you have nothing to worry about!" He giggled, and bit his tongue mischievously as he ducked from Dan's swinging arms.

"Bugger off! Honestly, what am I going to do with you?" And it was said in such an affectionate breathy way that Phil's heart couldn't help but smile at that. They walked, hand in hand, and it occurred to Phil how he hadn't felt hungry or thirsty since the night before. And is it too late to go back and grab his boots? So many questions still.. but his biggest question will always be Dan. And it wasn't only that he was a spirit. The chill in the boy's hands still alarmed him and reminded him he wasn't really alive, but he couldn't stop feeling warm. Dan huddled closer still, whispering in Phil's ears.

"Your warm skin feels nice."

Phil was content with how things turned out today.


End file.
